The Federal High Court in Abuja has been asked to order the deregistration of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, over alleged failure to comply with constitutional and statutory requirements for registration as a political party.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1115/2026, was filed by the protem Director of Organisation of the All Democratic Alliance, ADA, Ahidjo Karlahi, and has been assigned to Justice Mohammed Umar by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho.
Karlahi joined the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the NDC as the first and second defendants in the suit.
In the originating summons, Karlahi alleged that the NDC did not fulfil the mandatory conditions prescribed under Sections 221 to 225A of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and Sections 75 and 79 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
He argued that the NDC was not listed among the prequalified associations for formal application in the 2025 political parties registration exercise and did not follow the mandatory steps required for registration.
According to him, the NDC was not among associations that paid the mandatory N2 million administrative fee or received access codes to INEC’s application portal for the 2025 registration exercise.
He also alleged that the party did not access INEC’s dedicated Political Party Registration Portal, did not fill Form EC15A, and was not listed among the prequalified political associations published by INEC as having applied.
Karlahi said, “The NDC was not listed among the prequalified associations for formal application in the 2025 political parties registration exercise.
“The NDC was not listed among those associations that paid the mandatory N2,000,000.00 administrative fee and received access codes to the INEC’s Application Portal for the 2025 registration exercise.
“The NDC did not access INEC’s dedicated Political Party Registration Portal during the 2025 registration exercise, which is the only way to fill the Form EC15A.
“The NDC did not hence fill INEC’s mandatory Form EC15A, which is the only valid means of formally applying for registration as a political party.
“The NDC was not listed among the prequalified political associations published by INEC as having applied. These are not mere allegations; they are matters of public record.”
The claimant is asking the court to declare the continued recognition of the NDC as a registered political party unconstitutional, illegal, unlawful, ultra vires, null and void.
He is also seeking an order setting aside the continued recognition of the NDC’s certificate of registration issued by INEC, as well as an order directing INEC to remove the party from its official register of political parties.
Karlahi further asked the court to restrain INEC from continuing to deal with the NDC as a political party and to restrain the NDC from parading itself or participating in any electoral activity as a registered political party.
He insisted that the suit was filed in the interest of constitutionalism, rule of law and electoral integrity, and not as a political attack against any person or group.
“This suit is instituted solely by me as a citizen to advance constitutionalism, the rule of law and electoral integrity in our democracy. It is not directed against any individual or group of persons,” he said.
Karlahi also maintained that the action was not filed on behalf of any association or group, including the ADA.
According to him, the integrity of the political party registration process is central to Nigeria’s democratic order.
“I believe that electoral integrity is the bedrock of constitutional democracy. If the process for registering political parties is compromised, the entire democratic edifice is at risk. This suit is my contribution to safeguarding that process,” he added.
He called on Nigerians, civil society, the media and the public to follow the case closely, saying it should not be viewed as a partisan dispute but as a test of whether Nigeria’s constitutional order would be respected.
The suit comes after the national leader and founder of the NDC, Seriake Dickson, declared that there was no pending litigation or appeal challenging the party’s registration.
Dickson had made the statement during the maiden national convention of the NDC in Abuja, where he insisted that the party was legally recognised and united ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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